A significant challenge in cardiovascular medicine is to bridge the gap between basic knowledge and clinical applications. This investigator-initiated R13 Conference Grant Application seeks support for a conference whose broad objectivea are to present new information, promote communications, and discuss strategies to bridge this gap in cardiovascular medicine in order to ultimately enhance the care and management of patients with cardiovascular diseases. Critical Issues in Clinical Translation of Cutting Edge Science will convene March 8-11, 2006 in La Jolla, CA. The conference will focus upon topics relevant to implementing cardiovascular regenerative therapies including stem cells, intelligent matrices and molecular approaches. The conference is organized by the International Society for Applied Cardiovascular Biology (ISACB). The specific aims of the conference are: (1) to address the critical issues in the clinical implementation of cell-based therapies for cardiovascular disease including the potential clinical relevance of stem cell therapies (2) to analyze whether inflammatory processes should be controlled or selectively utilized as therapies (3) to better understand the biology of myocardial and heart valve failure and assess the potential efficacy of cardiovascular tissue engineering strategies for prevention and repair, and (4) to discuss novel molecular approaches to translational cardiovascular research. Attendees at the conference will include basic researchers, industry scientists, and clinicians and surgeons who treat patients with cardiovascular diseases. Students in training programs will especially be encouraged to attend. Young Investigator Awards will be presented to student authors of meritorious abstracts. Plenary sessions will include oral presentations by invited speakers, peer-reviewed, proffered papers relevant to the objectives, and discussion. There will be a formal, manned poster session. A "satellite program" preceding the conference will be held on the campus of the University of California San Diego organized by ISACB and Shu Chien, Ph.D., featuring the innovative work of UCSD's Bioengineering Department related to translational cardiovascular research. Cardiovascular diseases are leading causes of death in the United States and throughout the world. Novel treatment approaches rooted in the understanding and selective utilization of basic biology are critical. It is anticipated that this conference will have high scientific and clinical merit and relevance.